All My Children Commentary

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The Best and Worst of All My Children 2013:
We've come to the end of another year, and once again we're saying goodbye to All My Children. This week we take one last look back at the things t... Read the column now...

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From about the time she first set foot in her office at WRCW, Liza found herself hounded by Tad. Tad, of course, was demanding to know why The Cutting Edge had been tanked out from under him. Unbeknownst to Tad, Liza had no idea that she was no longer the majority owner of WRCW. Tad lashed out at his boss for not having the courage to give him the news face-to-face. Liza cocked her head to one side and asked Tad what he was talking about. "Sorry, Tad. You're fired," Tad blabbed. Liza's face fell. She was stunned by Tad's announcement and asked him how and where he'd gotten his information. Furiously, Tad grumbled that whoever held the other twenty- percent of WRCW stock had sold out to Datcom. Again, Liza was caught off guard. "I've never been so damned embarrassed in my life," Tad said painfully, referring to the manner in which he'd learned of his firing. Liza picked up her office phone and placed a call to Stuart to verify whether or not he'd sold his stock. Stuart confirmed that Barry had convinced him to dump some of his smaller investments. Liza knew instantly that Adam was behind the scheme. Liza shook her head in disbelief. She felt like a fool for having believed that she could change Adam. "The next time you try to save somebody," remarked Tad. "Make sure that they want to be saved." Liza headed off to get more answers. Tad, meanwhile, called in reinforcements. Adrian sat at a nearby desk and scrawled the words "Datcom" on a notepad. Tad looked on and mused that he could get Adrian some crayons if it would help him. Suddenly, Adrian wrote down the name of the company backwards---"Moctad." Tad shook his head. "Mock Tad," he said softly. "Who knew Adam had a sense of humor."

"You were there," Hayley said coldly, unable to look Mateo in the eyes. Mateo nodded his head. Hayley bowed her head and walked across the room. She told Mateo that she didn't want to believe that he was capable of doing what he'd done. Mateo smiled, unaware that he and Hayley had totally different concepts of what had taken place. Mateo thought he was helping his case by telling Hayley that his actions were motivated by his love for her. Thinking that Mateo had deserted her friend in his time of need, Hayley was disgusted by the thought that Mateo wanted to see Ryan dead. Mateo was asked to recall what he'd come across at the accident scene. Accurately, yet haltingly, Mateo described the scene to the letter. His story ended after he mentioned that he'd pulled Gillian from the crash site. Hayley's eyes welled with tears. "You left him there!" she sobbed. Mateo's eyes widened. He could not believe that Hayley thought he'd left Ryan to die. "Why are you here?" Mateo frowned. "To tell me what kind of lowlife I am?" Hayley said nothing in response. "You got what you came for," he snarled. "Now get out. Get the hell out!" Hayley scurried out of the office. Once outside, she doubled over and burst into tears.

At Pine Valley Hospital, Erica lashed out at Alexandra for insinuating that David had raped Gillian. Alexandra took a deep breath and explained that it was not her intention to make that statement. She clarified that while David had not raped Gillian, he had treated her "like a hooker." Erica warned Alex that David could sue her for libel. Before Alex could respond, David appeared in the doorway. From the silence that ensued, he knew that he'd interrupted something. Rather than get into an argument with both Erica and David, Alex wisely left the room. Erica, however, had many pertinent questions for her lover. She pointedly asked David about his relationship with Gillian. "Is it wise to operate on a former lover who despises you?" she asked. David bit his lower lip and asked Erica if Alex had been spreading lies about him. Erica confirmed that she'd been talking to Alex, but she did not allow David the chance to ask any additional questions. A phone call interrupted the conversation, but the pause was only temporary. David and an anesthesiologist got into an argument over the lack of available operating rooms. The bickering culminated in David removing the other physician from his operating team. When David hung up the phone, Erica was still waiting for him. David confessed that he and Gillian were once lovers, but that was the end of his explanation. Erica hinted that she might ask Gillian for the truth about their relationship. David made a veiled comment about how Erica might never get the chance to talk to Gillian if his surgical techniques falter. David claimed that he's "part saint, part sinner" and "the most exciting man" Erica's ever met. Erica remarked that the games David seemed to play with women were anything but exciting. That left one question: What had caused the animosity between Alexandra and David? Erica would not get the answer she sought. She stormed out of the room just as Alex had popped in to tell David that Gillian had been prepped for surgery. David blasted Alex for talking to Erica about his affair with Gillian. "If you're going to me on, you better be up for the challenge," he growled. Alex assured David that she could take anything he could dish out---and warned her colleague that she'd be keeping a very close eye on him.

Back at Sounds of Salsa, Isabella dropped by to check on her son. She told Mateo that she understood why he was so enraged; he blamed Ryan for coming between him and Hayley. Surprisingly, Mateo told his mother that he no longer felt a burning hatred for Ryan. In fact, he no longer felt anything. Mateo said that everything he'd done to make Hayley feel at ease had backfired. Now, though, he'd decided to just "let go." He took a deep breath and told Isabella that he's "ready to do just that."

When Hayley dropped by Ryan's hospital room and found his bed empty, Hayley started to panic. Luckily, Trevor was there with the news that Ryan had been taken away for some tests. Hayley told a disbelieving Trevor that Mateo had been at the accident scene and allowed Ryan to remain trapped in the wreckage. Trevor was sure that Hayley had gotten her facts wrong. After learning that Hayley had gotten her information from Ryan, he commented that Ryan had told Hayley what he wanted her to believe. Hayley reluctantly admitted that it was unlike Mateo to leave someone to die. But she had once thought that Mateo would never lie to her. Hayley left the room and Trevor was left alone to mull what he'd just been told. A nurse entered the room and Trevor was struck with inspiration. He asked the nurse if she could get him the names of the paramedics who'd transported Ryan and Gillian to the hospital.

Marian was outraged that Adam planned to kidnap her granddaughter. Adam smiled nervously and informed Marian that she'd misunderstood. He said that he wanted to go away with Hayley not Colby. Marian shook her head and told Adam that she knew all about Adam's shenanigans at the fertility clinic. She warned Adam that she was going to tell Liza what she'd overheard and then contact the police. Adam chased after Marian and eventually caught up to her in the hall. There, he grabbed her and forced her to enter his secret "safe room." "I can't allow you to remain on the loose," Adam growled. "Welcome to your new home." Marian looked around the secret room in horror. Adam assured Marian that the "safe room" would provide her with all the comforts of home---gourmet food, a state of the art bathroom, and television. Marian asked Adam how long he planned to keep her squirreled away. Adam shrugged and said that he planned to keep her locked away until he'd accomplished his goal. That, of course, being a reconciliation with Liza. Marian threatened to scream for help, but Adam said that it would do her no good. A plastic wall had set into place, one that Adam claimed what bulletproof and soundproof. He held a remote control in his hand and taunted Marian. This, he said, was the only way to get in or out of the room. Adam pressed a button and the plastic soundproof wall slowly rose. Marian claimed that she could not remain holed up in the room because she was claustrophobic. Adam turned to walk away, but turning his back on Marian proved to be his biggest mistake. Marian jumped on him from behind and slapped him several times. As Adam turned around, Marian kneed him in the groin. The remote control flew across the room and Adam doubled over in pain. Marian scurried to grab the remote control and then crawled to safety. She pressed a button on the remote control and the protective wall slid into place. From the outside looking in, Marian cackled at Adam's misfortune. Adam ordered Marian to release him. When that didn't work, he claimed that he knew of an alternate way out of the room. As Marian left the room, a look of elation crept across her face. "What was the most exciting thing I have ever done in my whole life," she giggled. Marian headed to another room where she toyed with Adam via the "nanny cam." She told Adam that she would eventually let him go---but only after she'd accomplished what she wanted to do. As she prodded Adam, Liza returned to the mansion. She tearfully told her mother that Adam had managed to swindle her out of her controlling share in WRCW. Marian comforted her daughter and told her that she would never again allow Adam to torment her. Back in his makeshift prison, Adam closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

In the secret "safe room" at the Chandler mansion, Adam furiously paced and cursed this twist in events that left him prisoner. Marian stopped by for another visit, throwing in his face the fact that this room that he had devised was now going to keep his family safe from him. She told him to watch on one of the TV monitors as Liza talked with Stuart.

Liza was cautiously explaining to Stuart how Adam had wrested control of WRCW with Barry Shire's help in gaining Stuart's stock. Stuart's reaction was shock. "I have to go and find Adam," Stuart told Liza. Marian returned to the living room, and told Liza firmly. "I suggest you start divorce proceedings immediately." Liza looked confused, "I feel uneasy about that. I should tell everybody the truth and get it over with."

As Adam watched this dialogue, he suddenly remembered there were two remotes to control the door! But his triumph was short-lived when he found the remote - with no batteries. In his fury he threw the remote at the glass wall, where it fell to the floor in pieces. "I'm stuck!" he raged. Recovering himself, he started to look for batteries - and found a couple! But then realized he had destroyed the remote! His own temper had been his undoing.
Meanwhile, in the living room, everyone is wondering where Adam is. Maybe he's at the boathouse, suggested Marian, "Or walking on the lake!" In his prison, a frustrated Adam yelled at the monitor, "I'm here, Liza! Just down the hall from you!" The nanny brought Colby downstairs before bedtime. As Liza tenderly held her, Marian told Liza not to weaken. "Promise me you won't tell anybody about this," she sternly told Liza as she left the room. Stuart came back to report no sign of Adam. He sat beside Liza and gently asked her what was wrong. "I know it's more than just the station," he said intuitively. "Adam has done something terrible. It's something to do with Colby, right?" Liza replied sadly, "I thought we would be a family, but that's not possible now." Stuart responded, "But the truth will always come out no matter how you try to hide it." Liza agreed, but, "There's someone who needs to know first." As Stuart left, she called Jake.

Marian went to check once more on her captive. "You can't keep me here, people will miss me!" Adam declared. "You will stay here as long as it takes for Liza to finalize her divorce proceedings," Marian informed him. "That could take months," Adam complained. "Well, you could learn Spanish!" And she left, bidding him a mocking, "Hasta la vista!"

Meanwhile, Tad and Dixie put in motion their plan to get proof linking Adam go the "silent partner" who now controls WRCW. Dixie marched up to a surprised Leslie Coulson in the Valley Inn dining room, and harangued her about her part in firing Tad. "Do you realize what this has done to him?" Dixie demanded. "He is suicidal!" She really put on a good act, pretending to cry, reached to Leslie's briefcase for a tissue, which Leslie abruptly moved out of Dixie's reach. Tad then came storming in, yelling at his wife for not supporting him, and maybe thinking he's nothing but a loser. Leslie was horrified at the way Tad was treating his wife. They argued, and stalling for time while he waited for Adrian to show up to play his apart, Tad threw bread rolls at Dixie. As the "argument" escalated, Adrian arrived, coat over his arm, and proceeded to pull them apart, then dragged Tad from the room. Dixie then pleaded to Leslie to listen attentively while she detailed all her grievances about Tad. Meanwhile, Tad and Adrian have opened Leslie's briefcase and found the proof they need - an FCC license in Adam's name. Tad returned and pretending to be apologetic, begged Dixie to come home with him. As the couple diverted Leslie's attention, Adrian replaced the briefcase. Leslie left in disbelief and the trio did a triumphant high-five.

At Pine Valley Hospital, Edmund and Eugenia were waiting for news on Gillian. Jake sleepily kept watch at her bedside, having been there all night. Ryan also was anxious to hear how Gillian was and removing the tubes from his arm, he found his way to Gillian's room. Gillian was still unconscious. Ryan told Jake that Gillian was on her way to tell him something very important when the accident occurred. Gillian had swerved to avoid someone standing in the road, he said. Dr. Joe tried to persuade Jake to leave and get some rest. Then he brought a wheelchair to take Ryan back to his room. Jake told Gillian he would be back, but he needed to return Liza's call. As he left, Gillian stirred, calling, "Ja... Ja.... "

David told Edmund and Eugenia that Gillian could suffer some short-term memory loss. "She is still very disoriented," Alex told Edmund. "You were right, I was wrong. David is certainly excellent." David asked Alex if that meant she will reconsider her decision and let him head up the Andrassy Foundation. "Oh no!" Alex replied. She went in to examine Gillian, who was stirring into consciousness. Eugenia watched. "Can you squeeze my hands?" Alex asked. "Layna .. " Gillian murmured. "Layna?" queried a puzzled Eugenia. "That's Hungarian. It means 'daughter.' Why would she say 'daughter'?"

Meanwhile, Liza had summoned Jake to Chandler Mansion. Harriet, the nanny, took Colby up to the nursery. Jake told Liza that while he was interested in what she wanted to say, he wanted to hear the "short version" so that he could go upstairs and read a bedtime story to his daughter.

The service at BJ's appears to be lacking as evidenced by a grouchy waitress that tended to Tad, Dixie, and Adrian's celebration. The trio had gathered for burgers and to praise themselves for getting proof that showed Adam was the new owner of WRCW. Tad asked for "the works" on the burgers and the waitress warned him that there'd be a charge for the extra garnishments. Dixie warned Tad not to go overboard since he was now without a job. She mused that they had to "panhandle" to scrounge up change for the parking meter. The next step was to figure out how to use their evidence to stick it to Adam.

Most of Hayley's time now was being devoted to her new gig on The Cutting Edge. She still had no idea that the plug had been pulled on the show or that she'd been given a show of her own. Nevertheless, she and Amanda rummaged through some of Janet's old jewelry. The idea was to find some "retro" jewelry to feature in an upcoming style segment. Amanda asked her mother to show Hayley the pendant that had been returned with her witch costume. Janet, who had been very excited by the prospect of showing off some of her old trinkets, suddenly became uneasy. Reluctantly, Janet pulled out the old necklace and handed it over. Hayley was awed by the piece of silver jewelry and asked Janet where she'd gotten it. Janet's face tensed. She bowed her head and claimed that she wasn't sure because she'd gotten it a long time ago. Trevor returned home and pulled Hayley aside for a private conversation. He told his niece that he'd spoken to the paramedics who transported Ryan and Gillian to the hospital. According to them, when they arrived at the scene Ryan had already been extricated from the wreckage. Hayley squinted her eyes and asked her uncle how that was possible. Perhaps, she suggested, Ryan had crawled to safety under his own power. Due to the seriousness of his injuries, Trevor said that that scenario was improbable. Hayley put her hand to her head and took a deep breath. Something just wasn't right; Ryan had told her that he saw Mateo walking away from the crash scene and Mateo made no attempt to deny the charges. Hayley nodded her head confidently and vowed to get the truth. After Hayley left, Trevor put his belongings away in the hall closet. When he did, he came across Amanda's Halloween costume. He asked Janet when she'd found the costume. Janet uneasily informed her husband that she'd found the costume on the porch. Trevor didn't make too much of it. Suddenly, Amanda burst into the room and announced that Smokey, the pet dog, had vanished. Trevor and Amanda headed out to find the dog, but their search turned up empty. The phone rang, but when Janet picked up the receiver there was no one on the other end. Trevor and Amanda headed out for another search around the neighborhood. They'd just left when the phone rang again. Like before, there was no one on the other end. Janet demanded that the caller identify himself. A barking dog cried out in the distance. Janet opened up the front door and found Smokey sitting on the porch. She crouched over to pet the furry little critter. When she did, the mysterious cloaked figure that had been skulking all over town appeared before her. Janet looked up and recognized the woman as Sophie Melinowski. Sophie invited herself into the house, but Janet blocked the door and told her that it wasn't a good time for a visit. Sophie referred to herself and Janet as "a couple of ex-cons" who had much to catch up on. Trevor and Amanda's voices approached from the back of the house. Sophie knew she had to dash. As she left, she praised Janet for finding a way to live the good life and instructed Janet to meet her at the boathouse in the morning. Amanda was delighted to see that her dog had come home. Janet, however, was visibly shaken by her encounter with someone from her past.

A routine check of Ryan's vital signs turned up some potential problems. Ryan's unauthorized journey to Gillian's room had resulted in a minor setback. His blood pressure was lower than it should be and he'd developed a slight fever. Nevertheless, Joe permitted Ryan to have a visitor. Ryan's face lit up as he waited for someone to enter his room. Greenlee entered toting a small teddy bear. She couldn't help but notice that Ryan didn't appear happy to see her. "You were expecting the other cute blonde in your life," Greenlee sassed. Ryan wondered why Greenlee, a virtual stranger, had dropped by to check on him. Greenlee insisted that she was concerned about Ryan. However, he intentions were not totally sincere. She asked Ryan if she could borrow his key so that she could drop by the loft and surprise Scott. Ryan nixed the idea because he wasn't sure that Scott wanted Greenlee popping by unexpectedly. Greenlee also had another request. She wanted Ryan to talk her up to Hayley. That way, she figured, she could get to work on Hayley's style segment at the station. Ryan also refused to do that. On cue, Hayley arrived at the hospital to check on her friend. Greenlee was hurried out of the room. She was still determined to catch up with Scott one way or another. Hayley wasted no time in telling Ryan that Trevor had spoken to the paramedics. Ryan told Hayley that the details of the crash were still sketchy. He remembered that he'd been at BJ's prior to the crash. From there, though, everything was a blur. Hayley waited until Ryan's memories hit a roadblock before telling him that the paramedics had said that he had already been pulled from the car when they arrived. Hayley left it at that. She told Ryan that the reason she wanted to meet him at BJ's so that she could apologize to him for sending out mixed signals. Joe returned to the room and told Hayley that it was time for Ryan to get some sleep. She gave her friend a peck on the cheek and left the room. In the hallway, Hayley asked Joe if Ryan's inability to recall the events surrounding the accident was normal. The doctor nodded his head and said that memory loss is perfectly normal. He told her that while Ryan's memory would probably return over time, nothing was definite. In his room, Ryan drifted off to sleep. In his dreams, he recalled the aftermath of the crash. This time, though, he remembered that Mateo had told him that he was going to get help. Ryan awoke and gasped. "Oh my God," he said softly. "Mateo saved my life."

At Chandler Mansion, Liza told Jake that she "appreciates the father [he's] become" to Colby. Before she could continue, Marian breezed into the room. She knew that Liza was probably getting ready to spill the beans to Jake. In an attempt to squash Liza's plan, Marian pretended to faint. Being a doctor, Jake took Marian's condition seriously. Liza, however, knew that her mother was playing possum. Jake left the room to get Marian some water. While he was gone, Marian warned Liza that she could not tell Jake that he's not Colby's father. If she does, Marian said that she could loose the upperhand on Adam. Liza worried that Adam was already out spreading the word that he's really Colby's father. Marian was sure that Adam would do no such thing because he would never indict himself. When Jake returned, Liza again shooed her mother from the room. Marian's words had gotten to her. As Adam looked on from the safe room, Jake asked Liza if she'd found proof that Adam had swapped the stem cells. Liza pursed her lips together and nodded her head. Adam flew off the handle. He banged his hand against the wall and shouted "no" several times. Jake wanted to press charges, but Liza didn't think that that was the way to go. The doorbell sounded and Liza excused herself. Jake continued to plead his case as Liza headed off to answer the door. Tad, Dixie, and Adrian filed into the mansion. Jake hoped that his brother could help convince him that Adam should go to jail for switching Colby's stem cells. On this, Tad sided with Liza. He reached into his pocket and produced the FCC license bearing Adam's name. The paper only served to confirm Liza's suspicions. Additionally, it prompted her to agree that it was time to punish Adam. Tad wanted to "publicly humiliate" Adam. Liza told them that Adam was missing in action, but that she was sure he'd show up for the big board meeting later in the week. Tad nodded his head and announced that they would strike at the meeting. In his makeshift prison, Adam threw another tantrum. He rummaged through the drawers and cabinets hoping to find something that would help him out of the room. He was just about to give up when he came across a screwdriver. He cackled to himself and chirped, "I'm outta here!"

Dressed in a jogging suit, Janet arrived for her early morning meeting at the boathouse. Janet slowly walked around the structure, her mind unable to shake images from her not-so-distant past. "Life is so hard for an ex-con," Janet recalled saying to Sophie upon her release from prison. In Janet's case, life meant adjusting to not being able to see her daughter. So desperate was Janet---who had been released from jail earlier after agreeing to undergo experimental plastic surgery---that she enlisted Sophie's help in making a bomb. Sophie, an expert in bomb making, agreed to help Janet. Luckily for Janet, the bomb fizzled before it could detonate (see below). Sophie arrived at the boathouse and Janet became extremely uneasy. She asked her former jailmate why she'd chosen to set up shop in Pine Valley. "For your help," Sophie replied. "I ran into trouble." Sophie explained that she was facing fifteen to twenty years in prison. Janet's mouth gaped. She realized that Sophie had "busted out" of jail. Sophie insisted that she was set up. Sophie informed Janet that she's lost her "recipe" for making a bomb. Janet turned her back and nervously told Sophie that she's changed her ways and no longer treads on the same path she did several years back. Sophie rolled her eyes and claimed that she was "thrilled" that Janet had found the good life. "You won the lottery," she said nearing tears. "Every one of your dreams came true." That left Janet to wonder how she could possibly help the escape convict. Sophie reminded Janet that they'd made a pact. In return for the help making a bomb, Janet would pay her fifty thousand dollars. That money, which Janet had bilked from Palmer Cortlandt, had now come and gone. Sophie didn't want to hear any tales. She told Janet to do whatever she had to do to get the money.

In a very dimly room, Vanessa gently caressed the back of a muscular and very much younger man. The unknown man told Vanessa that he could tell that Palmer had "drained the life" out of her. He urged Vanessa to leave the aging millionaire, but Vanessa said that she couldn't leave just yet. She reminded the man that Palmer was the one footing their bills. Without his money, they could not possibly make it. Vanessa smiled wryly and stated that it would only be a matter of time before Palmer left this life. Then, she grinned, they would be free to be together. "He's no match for me," she chuckled. Suddenly, Palmer sat up in his bed screaming. The nightmare had definitely hit too close to home.

Jack and Opal dined together in the dining area of The Valley Inn. Jack had thought that Opal wanted to talk about The Glamorama's web site. She did, but that wasn't the only reason she'd asked the attorney to join her. She told Jack that she had stories to tell about an "old dog." It didn't take Jack but a second to figure out that Opal was talking about Palmer. Jack pursed his lips together and wondered if Palmer and Vanessa's supposed marital problems were the result of Vanessa dinging one of Palmer's cars. "She is dinging more than his classic cars," sassed Opal. Opal told Jack that she'd "overheard" a phone call Vanessa had placed from the salon. She claimed that she'd accidentally pressed the redial button after Vanessa left and connected to another man's line. Jack argued that Opal's evidence proved nothing. After all, the man could have been a business associate, friend, or anyone for that matter. Across the room, Vanessa and Palmer sat down for breakfast. "Is there no escape?" Palmer groused. Vanessa looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "She's making a spectacle of herself-and at this time of the morning," Vanessa grumbled. Nevertheless, Vanessa thought it would be fun to toy with Opal. Before Vanessa pulled up the table, Opal ordered Jack to once again follow her lead. Vanessa arrived with a broad smile on her face. She completely ignored Opal, instead focusing her attention on Jackson. She asked Jack if he'd received the invitation she'd sent out for her and Palmer's overdue wedding reception. Opal interrupted before Jack could say anything. She told Vanessa that they would not dream of missing their big bash. Vanessa nearly passed out; she had not anticipated that Opal would be Jack's date for the evening. Opal fluttered her eyes at Jack and asked him if he'd like to join her back at her place. Later, Vanessa plopped down in her chair and told Palmer that they had to find a way to prevent Opal from crashing their party. Palmer assured his wife that he'd take care of Opal. Vanessa excused herself to have a few words with the hotel's chef. Palmer, meanwhile, waved over his private investigator who'd been lurking about in the background. The investigator told Palmer that they'd traced the money he'd fed to Vanessa all over the European continent. Now, though, the mysterious man had set foot on American soil---in Miami.

Amanda complained about having to eat oatmeal. Hayley informed her that breakfast was the most important meal of the day---but had to take a sidestep when Amanda asked her why she wasn't eating breakfast. Trevor entered the room and Amanda ran upstairs to get ready for school. Trevor asked his niece if she'd had a chance to talk to Ryan or Mateo about the accident. Hayley cocked her head to one side and said that Ryan was unable to remember anything about the crash. Trevor argued that Mateo would never walk away from a crash scene. Hayley countered by saying that everyone was capable of changing and those changes didn't always go from bad to good. Hayley used Janet as an example. Mateo, she said, was on the other end of the spectrum... going from good to bad. Hayley left the room and Amanda scurried downstairs. She asked her father if it was true that Mateo had left Ryan to die. Trevor scolded his daughter for eavesdropping. She quickly noted that there was a difference between "listening and hearing." She looked up at Trevor and said that if Mateo really did walk away, he was only doing it because he loved Hayley. She likened it to the way Janet had tossed Natalie down the Marick mineshaft. After the school bus picked up Amanda and Hayley had went on her way to get more answers about the accident, Janet returned home. Trevor was surprised that his wife had taken to jogging. Janet said that she was trying to "defy gravity." Trevor wanted to give Janet a muscle massage, but Janet kept pulling away from him. She said that she needed to wash up before heading to Enchantment to look over the budget. She even nixed Trevor's request to shower together. Before she headed upstairs, Janet said that she'd gotten a stock tip from someone at Enchantment. She said that the tip was supposed to be a sure thing---and required only fifty thousand dollars. Trevor was surprised by the large figure. He told her that he wishes they had that much money to burn. The couple's finances were a bit tight now that Trevor had bought the law firm from Jackson.

Ryan didn't touch his breakfast and he hadn't eaten a bite at dinnertime either. Ryan was once again hit by a flashback of the post-accident events. Soon after his visions faded, Mateo entered the hospital room. "So," he huffed. "What do you want to talk to me about?" Ryan was quick with a response. "You saved my life," he said softly. "Why'd you do it?" Mateo was unmoved by Ryan's gratitude. In fact, he was outraged that Ryan had told Hayley that he'd left the scene. Ryan explained that his memory was foggy and that it was only now returning. Mateo didn't really care that Ryan was still suffering some side effects from the crash. Ryan wanted to say or do something to show Mateo how thankful he was. "I owe you my life," said Ryan sincerely. "You owe me nothing," Mateo snapped. As Mateo left the room, he bumped into Hayley. "Don't worry," Mateo said perhaps only partially in jest. "I didn't come here to finish the job." Hayley tried again to ask Mateo what had happened at the crash site, but Mateo didn't respond. He told her that she should ask her "boyfriend" if she wanted answers.

Mateo headed to BJ's where he spoke with the family priest. Mateo was coaxed into confessing that for a moment-just for a moment---he'd thought about walking away from Ryan. The priest then asked if it was possible for Mateo to doubt himself why it wasn't understandable for Hayley to have those same doubts.

Back at the hospital, Ryan explained that he'd summoned Mateo to the hospital. After a momentary pause, he told Hayley that he'd recalled more about what happened after the accident. He still stuck by his statement that the last thing he remembered seeing was Mateo walking away from the crash. But after that, he remembered the sensation of being pulled from the wreckage. Hayley's face froze as Ryan told her that it was Mateo who's saved him. "Oh my God," she gasped. She turned and walked towards the door, saying that she had to find Mateo and make things right.

Side note: The bomb making storyline was cut short because of the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. The writers quickly went back and revised the scene so that the bomb fizzled and Janet was struck by lighting.

At the hospital, Erica paid Gillian a visit to find out more information about her former relationship with David. Unable to speak, all Gillian could do was become visibly upset until Alex arrived and ended Erica's questioning. Alex took Erica aside and explained that Gillian is suffering from aphasia, possible due to the blow to her head. That means that while Gillian understands what is being said to her, she is unable to choose the proper words to respond. Out in the hall, Jake is explaining the same thing to Ryan, who stopped by to see how Gillian was doing. She has a long road ahead of her, Jake warns, but he's confident that she'll make it. Ryan decides to postpone his visit a bit until he's dressed and ready to leave and heads back to his room. On the way, he stops at a pay phone to call and leave a message for Hayley that he's getting out of the hospital and she should call him later.

Jake goes in to check on Gillian and Erica leaves soon thereafter. On her way out, she bumps into David in the hall and tells him she never wants to speak to him again. David tries to talk her out of it, but she's convinced the stories about him and Gillian are true and she wants nothing to do with him. Erica storms out. Alex comes out of Erica's room and finds David looking at Gillian's chart. I am Gillian's primary physician, as well as her relative, Alex says and tells him that she no longer needs his input on the case. David asks if his excellent work on Gillian has made her change her mind about considering him to head the Andrassy Foundation. It hasn't.

Jake decides that Gillian needs cheering up and pulls out some pictures of Colby to show her. Little does he know that's what Gillian was rushing to talk to him about, the fact that Colby isn't his child. Gillian gets very upset and tries to tell Jake something, but can't form the words. She tries to grab for the pictures, but only succeeds in knocking them on the ground. Alex rushes in and gives her a hug to calm her down, which Edmund observes through the window. When Alex comes out, Edmund tells her how much he appreciates her wonderful care of Gillian and asks her to stay in Pine Valley (despite the fact that earlier in the day, David had come to Edmund and practically demanded Edmund talk Alex into giving him the director's job).

Ryan stops by Gillian's room on his way home and she looks very happy to see that he's alive and well. He reassures her that she will be going home soon, too, and that everything will be fine.

At Enchantment, Janet is working on the books when she notices an account with a large sum of money in it that hasn't been used lately. She thinks back to her meeting with Sophie the day before, when Sophie had asked her for $50,000. Erica's assistant announces that someone is there to see her and Janet demands to know, "Who is it?", very nervously. Before the assistant can answer, Myrtle shows herself in and wonders why Janet sounded worried.

Erica arrives back at the office and tells her assistant that if Dr. David Hayward or a man named "Victorio" calls, she is not available. Myrtle is very happy to hear that Erica is ending her relationship with David. Janet asks her about the large account she found on the books and Erica explains she set up that account for the doctor in Argentina who did her plastic surgery. He's supposed to use the money for research, but he's so proud he doesn't like to reimburse himself from the fund. Erica says she'll have to call him and remind him to use the money, but Janet steps in and says that she'll call and she can discuss with him the easiest way to transfer the funds. Erica agrees and the conversation is forgotten the next moment when they hear David outside the office, demanding to see Erica. She sneaks out the back way, and when David forces his way into the office, he finds only Janet and Myrtle there.

Erica went home and got ready to take a bath. Go downstairs and make sure that all the windows and doors are locked, Erica instructed Coral, and don't let Dr. Hayward in no matter what. Coral promises to take care of it right away. Going into the bathroom and taking off her robe, Erica is surprised to see David outside her half-open bathroom window, standing on a ladder.

Hayley finds Mateo at B.J.'s and apologizes for believing that he left Ryan to die. Ryan told me the truth, she explains, that Mateo saved his life. I'm not a hero, Mateo replies, I did think about leaving him there. They talk about their past and Mateo apologizes for offering her the glass of vodka. She forgives Mateo for doing it and he forgives her for doubting him about saving Ryan. But just when it seems possible they could start getting back together, Tina interrupts their conversation and apologizes to Mateo for being late. She offers to go sit at the bar while they finish their conversation, but Mateo tells her that's OK, he and Hayley have nothing more to discuss.